>Dr Chee, if you are for the Opposition Cause, now is the time to shut up

>It looks like Chee Soon Juan and SDP are the ones trying to open up old wounds as can be found in the following articles.

Part 1: The truth about Chiam See Tong’s
Part 2: Chiam’s expulsion – What really happened?
Part 3: Goh Chok Tong – Without Chiam, harder to destroy Chee

Yes, PAP is trying to open up old wounds too, by trying to remind everyone about the Chiam-Chee spat. But then again, take note that it is Dr Chee who’s the one who keeps this spat going on. Did PAP continue this? Did Mr or Mrs Chiam continue this? Or is it Chee and SDP?

I think Chee is either:

1. plain stupid, or
2. plain malicious

By continuing this spat, he undermines Chiam and Kenneth’s alliance. So it is either he is a fool not realizing how much damage he is causing to Kenneth, a real potential heavy weight who has the influence to dislodge some heavyweights in PAP, or simply malicious and would not want to see Chiam working with Kenneth because that would be a real threat to at least one of PAP’s GRC.

So if he truly is for the Opposition cause, he should just back out, and let the real opposition heavyweights take on PAP’s heavyweights.

SDP highlights that Goh Chok Tong said that without Chiam, it would be harder to destroy Chee. I would say that without Chee, it would be harder to destroy the Opposition.

Go figure.

>Chee Soon Juan Blames Everyone – except himself

>Yes, the PAP is out to taint him. So are Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao. Add PAP supporters if you will. While we’re at it, don’t forget Mrs Chiam. Finally, add that dog that just peed at his front door too. Yep, they’re all out to get Dr Chee, the sole hero of today’s opposition who dares to fight the nasty PAP with hunger strikes and walkabouts that bring shame to the PAP.

These are all the causes of his image being tainted. They’re all to be blamed. Everyone is to be blamed – except Chee himself. Really? Let’s walk through history and see if that is so.

Factor #1 – 1992 Marine Parade By-Election

In this instance, Chee was part of the SDP team that contested in the By Elections. This is the start of the decay of the opposition.

If you are old enough, you would recall that the then newly appointed PM Goh Chok Tong, promised to have a by-election after the 1991 GE. JB Jeyaratnam was disqualified from the 1991 GE. It was an early GE, noting that the previous GE was 1988. Although Goh’s excuse to hold an early GE was that he wanted a mandate from the people, because he just became PM, everyone knew that the real reason was to hold the GE before Jeya completed serving his suspension from contesting in elections. Had the GE been held in a year later, JBJ would have been able to stand for elections.

To quell the disquiet, Goh CT promised a by election – specially for JBJ. So in 1992, a by-election was held in Marine Parade to allow JBJ to stand for elections. However, this calculated move by PAP was actually one that was carefully planned and it was designed to break the opposition. I have commented on this event in this blog before. Here is the relevant excerpt.

Chiam and Kenneth Jeya tie up is political suicide

The Decay of the Opposition, starting with the SDP -
I really do not know, but somehow, within a short time, Chiam seemed to be intoxicated with the new power he had. All along since JBJ’s 1981′s by election win at Anson, it was JBJ who was seen as the leader of the opposition. Suddenly, in 1991, Chiam was hailed as the “new opposition leader” – by the PAP!

After the 1991 GE, PAP promised to have a By Elections to allow JBJ to make a comeback, having completed serving his disqualification period, due to the fine by the court. At the same time, the PAP hinted that Chiam was the one voters could be comfortable with. The idea was to create a rift amongst the opposition camp.

Chiam could have ignored it. However, he appeared to have suddenly become interested in holding onto power. The final showdown and collapse of the SDP was being played out.

1992 By Elections: The final nail in SDP’s coffin which broke up the opposition -
By now, the PM was Goh CT. It was Goh who promised on behalf of the PAP, a by-election after 1991. This was a brilliant calculated move on the part of the PAP to weaken WP’s influence and at the same time, effectively destroying the SDP.

Goh “sacrificed” his own Marine Parade GRC (a 3-seat ward then) to be set as the by election show down. He said that since he made the promise, he would take the responsibility.

The promise by GCT was actually to quell the disquiet that PAP was afraid of JBJ. JBJ was fined and disqualified from being an MP and was prevented from contesting in 1988 and 1991. The Privy Council later found that JBJ did no wrong, but was not in a position to undo all the wrongs PAP did.

Hence, the intention of the By Election in 1992, was actually meant for JBJ to make a comeback, after he had served out his disqualification period.

At this stage, I am going to risk putting up on my blog some info which was privy at that point of time. I was one of many who were invited to have lunch with then Dep PM LHL, just before that By Election was to be held. It was arranged that I was seated next to him at the table.

LHL, upon being seated, made a comment (jokingly) and said that he would love to take any questions, but not about the coming By Elections, because for the last few days, he was bombarded with that and hence, now needed a “rest” from the topic. Oh well, I was a little disappointed.

The lunch meeting carried on as per normal and when it reached its closing stages, I couldn’t help myself. I finally asked him, “Mr Lee, I hate to ask this, but really, how is the By Elections?”

As usual, he let off his hearty ha-ha-ha-ha laugh which nearly burst my eardrums. I was seated next to him, remember? Anyway, he said, “I leave that to the Prime Minister (GCT). Don’t worry, Chiam is not very clever.”

I left thinking…Chiam not clever? Why mention Chiam? What about JBJ? Isn’t this by election meant for JBJ to make a comeback, having served out his disqualification period?

That was the brilliant tactic of the PAP. Had they put up a single ward for the by election, even if WP had won, it would be 3 SDP MPs with with 2 WP MPs. Chiam would still be the unofficial leader of the opposition, which the PAP has hailed.

Now that it was a GRC, if WP won, it would be 4 WP MPs to Chiam’s 3. Chiam would have lost that leadership.

PAP had actually put up a very smart and slick move, pitting Chiam against JBJ, and at the same time, come out smelling sweet, keeping to the promise of by elections to have JBJ to have a shot.

The Confusion and Aftermath within the Opposition -
There was talk from the ground that Chiam should have stayed out, giving way to JBJ and team to allow a very strong opposition to tackle one to one with the PAP. Chiam simply could not accept that if JBJ had won, his unofficial status as leader of opposition would be lost. And that title was given to him by non other than PAP itself!

WP, sensing it was a lost cause, did not submit their nomination, citing a technicality. It was then a straight fight between SDP and PAP. PAP won – as expected. (2 other opposition parties were just minnows.)

Note that although Chiam was the one who blocked JBJ from returning to politics, it was Chee Soon Juan who was the head of the SDP team that contested in the 1992 Marine Parade By Election.

This was the first sign that Chee was in for a power grab, and does not really care about the opposition. If he truly believed the opposition cause, he would have declined, talked to Chiam to get SDP out of the from the by elections, and allowed JBJ, the definitely much better qualified opposition candidate, to make a comeback.

Unfortunately, that was not so. Chee was himself crazy for that opportunity to grab power.

Factor 2 – Chee’s Hunger Strike. Who does he think he is? Mahatma Ghandi?

Chee must be in dreamland to think he could swing anyone to pity him by going on a hunger strike. I am not going into the details of the background because there is enough on the internet already.

The fact that he even dared to stage this hunger strike is laughable. Many knew it was just a publicity stunt. Some even felt that if he did die, he would go down in history as the opposition man who committed suicide.

Putting it plainly, the hunger strike lowered his credibility because no one took him seriously.

Factor 3 – Chiam’s Ouster from SDP

Chee claims that he did not want Chiam out. Good try, Chee. I have two questions for him then.

1. Why was Chee so eager to take over the Sec Gen’s post? Why could he not have left that position vacant until a viable settlement between Chiam and Chee was reached? Isn’t this an indication Chee wanted Chiam out as soon as possible, so that he could assume the Sec Gen’s post?

2. Chee could have opposed to Chiam’s expulsion. He did not. Speaks volumes, doesn’t it?

Factor 4 – Chee gets jailed regularly. Who does he think he is? Nelson Mandela? Aung Sung Suu Kyi?

Has it ever occurred to Chee that if he keeps getting jailed and bankrupted, he wont’ be able to stand for elections? I would say so. In fact, I would say that is what he is trying to do. He wants to be disqualified, so that he can’t stand for elections, so that he could say that he is oppressed.

Factor 5 – Chee spoke to Lianhe Zaobao about Chiam’s ouster, then blames Mrs Chiam when she spoke up

This has to be a no-brainer. He opens his mouth to Lianhe Zaoboa about Chiam’s departure from SDP. What does he expect? Silence from the Chiam camp? Is he that daft?

You can feel free to add more factors in the comments section if you wish. To me, he is wasting everyone’s time, and is not worthy even to be considered a serious candidate for the opposition.

If Chee Soon Juan keeps blaming everyone for his failures (except himself) at this stage, when his party has not even won a single seat, you can imagine what it would be like if he does win a seat, not to mention a full GRC.

>Mrs Chiam confirms what we knew all along – Chee wanted Chiam out

>Ah, so Dr Liar Chee Soon Juan has been exposed right down to the very core. Ever since Chee’s planned ouster of Chiam, I have all along never believed Chee’s version. After all, there was no need for Chee to fill up the Sec Gen’s post Chiam left vacant, was there?

Here’s my post contesting Chee’s version on the Chiam-Chee spat.
SDP should come clean with their Agenda

In that link, I questioned the need for Chee to fill up the Chaim’s Sec Gen’s post so quickly. If Chee was really concerned to get Chiam back, why the almost immediate filling up of the vacated post? Trying to get rid of Chiam once and for all?

Today, Mrs Chiam (wife of Mr Chiam See Tong) confirms that Dr Chee Soon Juan had all along intended to oust Chiam. I hope this once and for all dispels all the lies Chee tries so hard to tell everyone, that he tried to get Chiam back into SDP.

SDP supporters, please take note!

Chiam’s SDP exit: Wife speaks up
(Truncated Version here for those who do not have a subscription with ST)

A LONG-STANDING spat between Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong and former protege Chee Soon Juan has resurfaced, with Mr Chiam’s wife and Dr Chee engaged in a fresh exchange of views.

The row centres on Dr Chee’s role in Mr Chiam’s dismissal as secretary-general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) in 1993 and his eventual exit from the party in 1996.

In an interview with the Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao published yesterday, Mrs Lina Chiam dismissed comments that Dr Chee made in an earlier interview with the same newspaper that he had tried to persuade Mr Chiam to stay on.

She instead accused Dr Chee, who succeeded Mr Chiam as SDP chief, of ousting her husband from the party he founded in 1980.

Mrs Chiam – who told the newspaper she was speaking with her husband’s knowledge and authority – said that despite the SDP central executive committee’s initial attempts in 1993 to make Mr Chiam stay, it held a disciplinary hearing in August that year, where it decided to expel him.

She said: ‘If he (Dr Chee) really wanted to keep Mr Chiam, he could have politely declined the position of secretary-general. Or when the central executive was taking a vote on whether to take disciplinary action against Chiam, he could have opposed the dismissal.’

She noted that Dr Chee wrote to the Speaker of Parliament to tell him of Mr Chiam’s ouster, and asked for any further necessary action to be taken.

The Constitution says that an MP who loses membership of the party he represented in a general election automatically loses his seat in Parliament.

Mr Chiam was elected as Potong Pasir MP in 1984 on the SDP ticket. He contested his expulsion from the SDP in court and left the party only in 1996 for the Singapore People’s Party.

Mrs Chiam said: ‘The People’s Action Party tried all means to defeat my husband, but failed after several general elections. But the SDP achieved it effortlessly with one stroke of the pen and did the PAP a great service.’

Mr Chiam asked her to clarify the matter with Lianhe Zaobao after it interviewed Dr Chee, she said, adding that she wanted to set the record straight: ‘For the sake of my husband and to let the younger generation understand ‘Uncle Chiam’, I have to step forward to clarify matters. He did not turn his back on the SDP. When we were forced to leave, our hearts were filled with anguish.
‘
Dr Chee told Lianhe Zaobao in his interview that he tried to persuade Mr Chiam – who had differences with the central executive in May 1993 – not to resign. He said he went to Mr Chiam’s office several times to ask him to withdraw his resignation, ‘and told him he was still regarded as our leader’.

Yesterday, Dr Chee reiterated that neither he, nor anyone else, forced Mr Chiam out. He told Shin Min Daily News that the SDP spent one month persuading Mr Chiam to change his mind: ‘But Chiam insisted that he would return to the SDP as its secretary-general only if the SDP central executive gave him the maximum power to appoint or remove any central executive or party member.’

He also told the Chinese-language daily he did not want to take the issue further.

Note the very similar point Mrs Chiam made – if Chee really wanted Chiam in SDP, Chee could have declined the Sec Gen’s post.

PS – TOC, (the proxy of SDP) which is usually super efficient in reporting all the “injustices” meted out to Chee by PAP, suddenly appears to be on sleep mode on this report. Well, at least that’s the mode it is in at the time of this post.

Any guesses why?